New Zealand's Colin Munro bids adieu to international cricket

Source: News9live
Author: Amit Sharma

New Delhi: New Zealand cricketer Colin Munro announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday after not being included in the national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Munro, a top-order batter, played one Test, 57 ODIs, and 65 T20Is for New Zealand accumulating a total of 3010 runs but making his niche in the shortest format as an explosive left-handed batter.

In the T20Is, his strike rate brims at an impressive 156.44 and the southpaw remains one of the handful of players who have struck more than 10000 runs across all T20 competitions. The 37-year-old Durban-born amassed 10961 runs from 428 T20s, averaging at 30.44 and striking at 141.25. Munro's swansing for New Zealand came back in 2020 when he featured in a T20I game against India at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval.

"Playing for the Black Caps has always been the biggest achievement in my playing career. I never felt prouder than donning that jersey and the fact that I've been able to do that 123 times across all formats is something I will always be incredibly proud of," Munro said in his retirement statement.

Admitting that he remained hopeful to return into the national outfit, Munro said that it was the right time to call it quits on top-level cricket.

"Although it has been a while since my last appearance, I never gave up hope that I might be able to return off the back of my franchise T20 form. With the announcement of the Black Caps squad for the T20 World Cup now is the perfect time to close that chapter officially," he said.

As the New Zealand selection committee mulled down sorting out players for the T20 World Cup 2024, New Zealand coach Gary Stead said that Munro's name came up for discussion while picking the squad. He couldn't find a place for himself eventually. However, the retirement won't keep him away from playing various T20 leagues across the world.

Munro has registered himself for many elite records as he continues to be the fastest Kiwi batter to score a T20I fifty. He had done it in 2016 against Sri Lanka at Eden Park, hitting a 14-ball 50 which is also the fourth quickest of all time. He hit a 47-ball century against the West Indies in 2018, which at that time was the fastest T20I hundred by a Kiwi player. The hundred also made him the first player to score three T20I tons.